It’s election day in Juneau, with 3 Assembly races, 3 school board seats and 3 tax propositions on ballot Polls open until 8 p.m.; preliminary count of some votes expected tonight; final results scheduled to be certified Oct. 21

Douglas Murray, a third-generation Juneau resident who’s lived here for 55 years, says he agrees with city leaders who say this year’s election is of relatively high importance — although his thoughts about why aren’t necessarily the same as theirs.

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The U.S. Coast Guard’s Storis icebreaker reached its winter homeport on Friday to complete its 112-day inaugural patrol, which for now is Seattle rather than Juneau.
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The Alaskan Hotel & Bar finishes a frightening fifth in USA Today’s Best Haunted Hotel contest Historic downtown Juneau landmark outspooks Lizzie Borden’s house, the hotel from "The Shining" and 13 other finalists to make the top five.

Another heart-stopping moment in the hallowed history of The Alaskan Hotel & Bar arose this week as the 112-year-old establishment finished fifth in USA Today’s Best Haunted Hotel competition decided by online voters.
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Editor’s note: The story below about a study by the Juneau Economic Development Council on the impacts of local ballot propositions has been removed from our website to review concerns raised about some of the figures in the study.

Haines voters also considering seasonal sales tax Voters will decide whether to adopt a seasonal sales tax and cash in on the tourists who visit Haines each summer.

Haines voters are considering a seasonal sales tax similar in many ways to the one on the Oct. 7 election ballot in Juneau. By Will Steinfeld of the Chilkat Valley News.

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Diving deep to find Benjamin Stepetin three months after his disappearance Two-day underwater search along cruise dock unsuccessful, but family raising funds to explore more of the channel while continuing to look on land.

After rumors that missing Benjamin "Benny" Stepetin had been seen along the downtown cruise ship dock, his brother hired a dive team for an in-depth underwater search.
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Goldbelt leaders share plans for private Douglas cruise port with Juneau Assembly “Goldbelt believes it can be the high tide that lifts all boats.”

Juneau Assembly members who’ve spent a year waiting got a chance this week to ask Goldbelt Inc. leaders about the company’s plans for a two-dock cruise ship port on the west side of Douglas Island.
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Crimson Bears play final regular season football game against familiar foe JDHS travels to league-leading West Anchorage on Saturday.

The JDHS football team travels to the site of the team that ended the Crimson Bears' playoff run in the first round last season — in the last minute — 20-13.
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Learning by ‘trial by fire’: CCFR Chief Rich Etheridge recalls career after retirement announcement Patience is a virtue when it comes to overseeing an all-hazards fire department.

Capital City/Fire Rescue Chief Rich Etheridge is retiring this fall. He shared lessons learned, fires fought and future goals.

Rough Anchorage road trip for JDHS spikers The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears volleyball team had an uncomfortable road trip to Anchorage last week as they took to the court in a field of 21 schools at the 2025 West An...

The Crimson Bears volleyball team had an uncomfortable road trip to Anchorage last week as they took to the court in a field of 21 schools at the 2025 West Anchorage Spiketacular.
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Residents of Telephone Hill who were being evicted from their homes Wednesday were given a one-month reprieve on Monday night by the Juneau Assembly, after the city attorney said the legal eviction process wasn’t fully followed.
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Editor, most news staff of Carpenter Media’s Alaska newspapers resign due to censoring of story Article about a Charlie Kirk vigil referring to controversies involving him was altered after a GOP Alaska lawmaker complained to company management

The editor and nearly all reporters at the Homer News, Peninsula Clarion, and Juneau Empire announced their resignations after corporate management deleted content from a story about Charlie Kirk in response to a complaint from a Republican state lawmaker.
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JDHS senior Elliot Welch wins 12th region tennis title in four years Crimson Bears tennis team finish Region V play, prepare for state.

JDHS senior Elliot Welch completed his final Region V tennis career with an incredible resume Saturday, winning his 12th title as he and classmate Paige Kirsch defeated junior Isaac Hill and senior Bella Reyes-Boyer in mixed doubles 6-2, 6-4.
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Training, medical request faults cited in JPD self-assessment after violent arrest leads to officer’s forced resignation Report by police chief says room for improvement, but overall "JPD continues to set the standard for policing"

A JPD self-assessment conducted after an officer was filmed violently arresting a man two months ago states some tactics taught at a statewide academy "do not align with our expectations," but overall "we are a top tier, professional law enforcement agency."
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Juneau puts on first-half offensive show in 34-20 win over Colony in final home game of regular season Crimson Bears use toughness and trickery to send seniors off in style.

An injury to a star player meant the Crimson Bears needed some different options — and they exercised plenty of them in a 34-20 win in their home finale of the regular season Saturday night at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Field.
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Crimson Bears sweep Region V running championships JDHS tops DI field, Sitka sweeps DII, Wrangell sweeps DIII

The Crimson Bears cross country team swept the Division I team and individual titles at the Region V Championships Saturday on Sitka’s Totem Park, and Sitka and Wrangell followed suit in DII and DIII.
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First school board forum with fifth candidate in 3-seat race shows gaps among incumbents, challengers Current members say district is mostly coping well during difficult times, outsiders are seeking some bigger changes that may be elusive.

The most recent school board election forum on Thursday before the Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce was the first to feature all five current candidates.
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JDHS seniors to get tributes before taking to gridiron for final home game Crimson Bears football hosts Colony at 7 p.m. Saturday as teams fight for playoff positioning

The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa·at Kalé Crimson Bears football team will honor their senior players in their final home game as they host Cook Inlet Conference foe Colony Knights on Saturday at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Field.
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Trump administration plans to close unknown number of US Forest Service offices in Alaska Status of Forest Service’s visitor centers in Portage, Juneau and Ketchikan also isn’t clear.

The Trump administration is planning to close some U.S. Forest Service offices in Alaska under a national reorganization announced this summer by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

Public comment on the reorganization is open through Sept. 30.

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It's not just another Friday in Southeast Alaska as a hurricane-force low develops Wind is expected to increase throughout Friday, with the highest impacts still expected for Prince of Wales Island and Sitka.

Update: The next few hours are expected to be a high point of concern for a hurricane-force storm moving through the central and southern portions of Southeast Alaska.
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Juneau’s only Indian restaurant plans switch to ‘fusion’ menu as tariffs, ICE fears cause hardships, owner says Three foreign employees in US legally have left; Trump’s 50% tariff on India makes authentic supplies unaffordable, according to Spice owner Nimmy Philips.

Spice Juneau Indian Cuisine is already short-staffed due to foreign-born workers leaving over fears of being detained, but owner Nimmy Philips was forced to spend Monday night away from the restaurant to beg city leaders for a bit more time to pay off a tax debt so she can keep her alcohol license.

Friends of Telephone Hill ask for delayed eviction; city says bold action needed now for more housing Residents of neighborhood in downtown Juneau and supporters say the city has no plan; mayor defends “leap of faith.”

About 75 people took a failed last stand at a Juneau Assembly meeting on Monday to postpone the demolition of 13 Telephone Hill homes until “a credible and viable project” is contracted.
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Clean energy fair gets electric focus Renewable Juneau partners with annual EV roundup for a climate-based carnival.

Local climate enthusiasts and locals looking for an indoor carnival feel took refuge from Sunday’s rainstorm at Renewable Juneau’s clean energy fair in the Juneau Arts and Culture Center.
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Retrial will be sought for former Juneau chiropractor accused of sexual assault, prosecutor says Jury deadlocked on most charges against Jeffrey Fultz; which charges will be brought again still being determined.

A retrial will be sought against a former Juneau chiropractor after a jury deadlocked on most of the charges he was facing after being accused of sexual assault by a dozen women who were his patients, a co-prosecutor of the case said Tuesday.
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Assembly OKs relocating City Hall to Michael J. Burns Building; move expected to take at least a year City leaders vote 7-2 to authorize negotiation and purchase of two floors of building from the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp.By Mark SabbatiniJuneau IndependentThis is a developing story.Juneau is set to...

The Juneau Assembly on Monday night voted 7-2 to authorize the negotiation and purchase of two floors of the Michael J. Burns Building from the Alaska Permanent Fund. Corp.
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Wrestling giant lifts local grapplers to new heights Max Askren wrestling clinic a lesson in life through sport.

In the shadow of wrestling giant Max “The Technique” Askren, a wall-to-wall mat was covered with young grapplers trying to imitate what he had just shown them and process the wisdom he imparted.
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NBC gets saturation of Juneau football storylines during filming of Super Bowl documentary California film crew captures Crimson Bears’ dramatic win over state champs in epic rainstorm.

A five-person film crew from NBC Sports endured freezing faucet-like rain to spotlight the Juneau high school football community at Saturday’s game featuring the Crimson Bears against Dimond High School.
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Flood alert extended until Tuesday; gale-force winds also possible Monday Auke Lake Trail closed due to landslides; warnings about slides elsewhere and rivers overflowing banks issued by city and weather officials.

Rain and wind that are intense at times are expected to continue through Tuesday morning in Juneau and much of Southeast Alaska, prompting official warnings about landslides, overflowing rivers and other hazards.
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Quick-draw artist: Debut museum art series leads with Chris Taylor Sketching workshop kicks off events scheduled on first and third Saturdays of each month through April of 2026.

Thirty people were seated around guest artist Chris Taylor as he sketched a samovar on display in the Russian Alaska exhibit gallery at the Father Andrew P. Kashevaroff Alaska State Libraries, Archives and Museums on Saturday afternoon.
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Crimson Bears defeat defending state champs 15-14 in torrential rain and national TV spotlight Interception by JDHS’ Mati Iona wth less than a minute left seals win over Dimond that will be featured in documentary during next year’s Super Bowl.

Under the brightest of TV spotlights and soggiest conditions in decades, JDHS put on a star performance with a 15-14 victory over defending state champion Dimond High School on Saturday at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Field.
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